CHSRA under fire for bidding criteria changes
Critics said they could harm the quality of the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed rail project. The agency tentatively selected a team to build a segment of track even though it had the lowest technical score. The team had the lowest-cost bid, at just under $1 billion.
LOS ANGELES — Critics said the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (CHSRA) changes to bidding criteria could jeopardize the quality of the bullet train project, Los Angeles Times reported. The CHSRA tentatively selected a team to build a 29-mile segment of track through Fresno even though it had the lowest technical score. The team had the lowest-cost bid, at just less than $1 billion.
Changes to bid evaluation criteria were made in 2011, but not approved by the agency’s board. However, staff was not required to obtain board approval for the changes, the CHSRA CEO told the paper. For the full story, click here.
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